As computer systems, networks, and databases that are accessed via such computer systems or networks, have become more widely used and sophisticated, the monitoring of the functioning and usage of these resources has presented an increasing technical challenge. In order to detect issues and problems that may exist with respect to a particular system, an operator of the system may deploy automated monitoring agents to monitor the system and automatically to report any issues that arise in connection with the system. Further, an operator of the system may provide tools and mechanisms to users of the system so as to enable users to report any issues, of which they become aware, to an administrative person or organization. Such an administrative person or organization will typically then, if appropriate, take action responsive to the reported issue.
As the number of sources, both human and automated, from which an administrative entity may receive issue reports increases, the processing and handling of these issue reports may present a technical challenge to the administrative entity. For example, the sheer volume of issues that are reported may overwhelm the handling resources of an administrative entity.
The above issues pertaining to the processing of issue reports are amplified by a number of factors, such as an increase in the complexity or rules pertaining to the operation of a system (e.g., an online resource of forum), and an increase in the number of sources from which issue reports may originate.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a prior art system 2 for the handling of issue reports received from a user 3. Specifically, the user 3 submits issue data to a reporting engine 4, the issue data pertaining to an issue, for example, encountered or detected with respect to a system. The issue reporting engine 4 then communicates this data to a messaging system 5, which provides an auto-response or an auto-acknowledgment (e.g., users may receive a more formal response from a customer service representative after an investigation) e-mail back to the user 3, and also creates an issue report message, including the issue data. The issue report message is then placed into one or more queues 6, each of which is serviced by an agent. Specifically, the agent may retrieve an issue message from the associated queue 6, evaluate the issue, and take action, if warranted, to address the issue.
Consider the situation where the prior art system 2, described above with reference to FIG. 1, is utilized to communicate an increasingly large number of issue reports, received from a large number of diverse users 3 regarding a particularly complex system. Assuming the queues 6 are serviced by an associated agent in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner, an increasing number of agents 8 are required to service received issue reports. Further, issue reports that perhaps require urgent attention become more difficult to recognize as the number of received issue reports, and the potential subject matter of such issue reports, increases. Accordingly, the processing of issue reports, for example, by using a prior art system 2 such as that shown in FIG. 1, presents a number of technical challenges such as, for example, dealing with an increasing number of issue reports pertaining to an ever-increasing number of topics and issues.